Stopgap to stud: Josh McCown’s improbable season for Jets at 38

It wasn’t flawed to assume the Jets offense can be a catastrophe.

Who anticipated a journeyman quarterback’s fifteenth season to be one in every of his greatest? Who anticipated a 38-yr-previous to look higher than he did at 28? Who anticipated a participant with a 2-20 report over the previous three years to win twice as many video games in simply over half a season? Who anticipated a former UFL participant, given up on by eight NFL groups — together with two follow squads — to grow to be the universally revered chief of a aggressive group?

Now, who can anticipate something however Josh McCown giving the Jets an opportunity to win every week?

“Josh has been enjoying nice,” coach Todd Bowles stated following Thursday’s 34-21 win over the Payments. “He’s a pacesetter on and off the sector. I can’t say sufficient about him, particularly with all the items coming out and in of the offense, lining guys up, controlling the ball recreation, not making an attempt to do an excessive amount of, however does simply sufficient. [He’s] correct, all the time upbeat. We will’t say sufficient about him.”

The signing of the stopgap quarterback within the offseason appeared to sign a white flag for the season. Now, a number of groups would fortunately swap their quarterbacks with McCown, who ranks second within the NFL with a private-greatest 70.four completion proportion, and is tenth within the league with a ninety six.1 passer score, the second-greatest mark of his profession.

“Nicely nice for me is sweet, to start with,” Bowles stated Friday morning, of his feedback about McCown’s play the earlier night time. “I knew what I had once I obtained him. It was only a matter of him staying wholesome. He’s been nicked up for the previous few years. It’s type of hindered his efficiency and never put him on the sector lots, however Josh on the sector, I imply, 37, 38 [years old], he understands we don’t need him to get hit so much. He understands he has to slip. He understands he can’t flip the ball over and he instructions the offense, and I feel he’s in such a consolation zone with himself proper now and understanding the sport and seeing it that he’s having numerous enjoyable, and I’m having fun with watching it.”

Not often has McCown been capable of smile a lot after video games. In his 14 earlier seasons, he gained 18 video games, final notching 4 wins in a season in 2004.

The veteran has been sensible and environment friendly and opportunistic, rating seventh within the league with thirteen landing passes, and is on tempo to set a profession-excessive in passing yards, with 1,980 already.

McCown’s 25-yard landing move to Robby Anderson on Thursday night time gave him a league-excessive eight…